Keeping faith with the past in seven-bed near Swords

Co Dublin: €1.8mDating back to 1898, Highgrove House in Oldtown, north Co Dublin, comes with its own oratory, tennis court and landscaped private gardens.

Set on 1.4 acres, Lisney is auctioning the (558sq m) 6,000sq ft cut-stone family home on October 11th and is quoting an AMV of €1.8 million.

Located between Ashbourne and Swords, around a quarter of a mile from Oldtown village, the property has a number of outbuildings as well as a 60sq m (645sq ft) detached bungalow to the front of the main house.

Although it has always been a family home according to the agent, inside Highgrove House has the stately proportions and slightly solemn dark-wooded interior of a religious house. The oratory with its wooden pews and stained glass double doors adds to this impression.

The house has seven bedrooms, three fine-sized reception rooms and a large conservatory. Off the dramatic main hall with its sweeping central staircase, there a number of reception rooms, two of which have double stained glass doors sourced from the Holy Faith chapel in Drumcondra. One is a dual aspect room with an impressive exposed brick fireplace and the other has two windows facing front.

As well as a spacious kitchen, there is a utility room with access to the garage. A third reception room is an extension to the original house with an archway to a dressingroom and shower room. A huge conservatory with a blue-tiled floor that has the look of a hotel function room with a bar and a slightly incongruous church-like wooden vaulted ceiling.

The stairs leads to either side of a mezzanine-style landing which overlooks the ground floor. The landing is also imposing with deep red walls and a dark wood ceiling with exposed beams.

Three of the seven bedrooms have shower room en suites and one has a walk-in dressing area.

The extensive gardens have a mature range of trees, hedging and shubbery .

The tennis court is to the rear and there is a large garage.